Counterfeit Hero

”Damn it, if he loses, he treats us to a meal, if we lose, we get annexed. How is there such a good deal in this world?”

”That Fatty is utterly shameless!”

”Do you think our Sect Master is an idiot? Who would agree to such terms?”

The mech knights of the Four Great Schools immediately caused a commotion, whispering among themselves. Even the bandit soldiers standing nearby had an expression of amusement. Who would agree to such terms?

”Alright! I agree!” Surprisingly, it was the Black Dragon Sect’s Sect Master Bridge Man who agreed without almost any hesitation.

Under the astonished gaze of everyone, Bridge Man remained calm and composed, as if such terms were already satisfactory to him.

The only one unsurprised was Fatty. He merely gave Bridge Man a few more glances, nodded, and then shifted his gaze to Sade and the other two.

”I agree too!” This time it was the Thousand Army Sect’s Anlington speaking. This Level 1 Mecha Commander with natural white hair had been standing at the back, silent and inconspicuous. At this moment, he very simply expressed his stance.

The mech knights under them didn’t understand, but these four heads of their respective factions, who were all seasoned veterans of the Free World, understood perfectly.

On the surface, Fatty’s wager seemed very unfair. In reality, it provided the Four Great Schools with an exit strategy. Because it was unfair, whether they won or lost, their reputations remained unscathed.

Furthermore, being on the bandit army’s turf, even if they won, what could these schools hope to gain from under their gun barrels? Did Fatty seem like the type to suffer a loss? The most important point was that such a wager opened a door for the Four Great Schools to join the bandit army.

These seasoned veterans fully understood the implications: when given an exit and a doorway, they needed to cooperate. Insisting on a fair wager would be self-defeating. Their initial plan to jointly confront the situation was no longer necessary.

With Bridge Man and Anlington taking the lead, Sade and Fa’en also nodded in agreement.

Fatty merely made a gesture, and the bustling training in the training ground immediately came to a halt. The bandit soldiers quickly formed neat rows and made way for the training ground. When Sade and the others’ specialized mechas reached the field, dozens of disc-shaped data collection devices had already flown to the periphery of the training ground, hovering in the air.

The entire training ground was filled with an air of excitement.

A direct confrontation between two Mechanical Gods, two Level 1 Mecha Commanders, and the Fatty who had sequentially conquered the Nine Halls was an unprecedented main event, no matter the time or place. The dismissed bandit soldiers and mecha knights of the Four Great Schools retreated to the observation deck, crowding around the data collection terminals, eager to catch every display.

Fatty chose Cosmo’s mecha. This sleek blue mecha, named [Flowing Light], was the thirty-fifth generation Phantom Stream Mecha. Consistent with its predecessors and the techniques of the Phantom Stream, it won with speed. The appearance of the mecha had not changed since the Phantom Stream era of the Chuckna Li family, with only its engine, materials, transmission, and electronic systems being upgraded.

As a result, nearly every civilian mech knight recognized this type of mecha and had likely even faced it in combat. The only distinction in Cosmo’s mecha was its superior materials and the custom-made engine, which provided greater explosiveness and power.

But no matter what, it was still a Phantom Stream Mecha. In Mars Free Port, such mechas almost epitomized the concepts of ’decline’ and ’mundanity’ - the fallen Phantom Stream, the most ordinary mecha.

And its first opponent was Anlington’s top-tier Thousand Army Sect’s mecha, [Pentium].

Even the bandit army admitted that the golden [Pentium], standing imposingly at the center of the field, had a majestic presence. Its humanoid body was tall and robust, with square chest armor, black striped abdominal armor, streamlined arm and leg armor, making the overall look like an ancient warrior about to draw his blade for battle.

This model was a Special Type Mecha from Thousand Army Sect. Due to Thousand Army Sect’s relatively solid economic background among the factions and their long-standing focus on mecha design and development, their Sect Mechas were renowned throughout Mars Free Port. This excellent mecha played a significant role in their top-eight ranking among dozens of factions.

There was a saying among sect mecha knights that piloting the [Pentium] boosted a Thousand Army Sect knight’s strength more than a notch above others piloting different mechas. This alone highlighted the overwhelming advantage [Pentium] had over [Flowing Light].

As Thousand Army Sect’s top warrior, Anlington could hardly count the number of times he had competed against the Phantom Stream. Numerous encounters had made him very familiar with the Phantom Stream Mecha’s performance, strengths, and weaknesses.

Especially noteworthy was that in his numerous bouts against Phantom Stream, Anlington had never been defeated. Thus, seeing Fatty get into the [Flowing Light] cockpit, Anlington already felt a psychological advantage. Regardless of Fatty’s skills, at this moment, he felt quite at ease.

Without any unnecessary words, both mechas started quickly. Amidst the roar of engines, the hydraulic systems of the mecha’s limbs gave out deep and continuous friction sounds. Moments later, with a few ”clank clank” sounds of metal locking into place, the two mechas completed their extensions and entered combat mode.